Week 10 Observations: Dolphins vs. Packers

I didn’t think I’d be writing this blog after a Miami win this week against the Packers. I figured the Dolphins would travel to Green Bay and lose to Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the lil Aaron Rodgers. I thought Miami would hang around in the game and lose out in the 4th quarter. I understand that is almost what occurred. I realize all this but I sit here typing away annoyed at how the game turned out because to me, Miami was more in this game than the 31-12 score looks like. The Dolphins blocked well enough even though they had total strangers on the line. The defense, though gashed repeatedly, held the Packers to only 14 points in the first half. Even Gase called a pretty good game, which is something that happens as often as seeing Halley’s Comet twice in a year. The Dolphins had the Packers going backwards and then wouldn’t you know it, that pesky position of quarterback that I’m told is sort of important reared it’s delicate head and vomited all over itself over and over again. This wasn’t a we let them off the hook type game, but it was one where if Miami had even slightly competent QB play, the game would of been much different. But they don’t so this is the life we have. Here’s what I saw.

1. Right off the bat, you know you’re in for a long day when both your starting offensive tackles get ruled out on Sunday morning. Let alone all the other injuries that this team already has, when you lose one of your best players in Tunsil and James who is generally solid, you’re gonna have a bad time. Honestly, most of the hope that I had that Miami could keep the game competitive seeped out of me when I heard that.

2. Of course the Dolphin’s opening drive was really nice, of course it was. Of course their makeshift o-line were pushing the Packers around and of course the grizzled veteran Frank Gore was taking names.

3. Okay, alright, everything is going Miami’s way on this opening drive. They’re controlling the line of scrimmage and have entered the red zone. Hey, maybe we’ll get our first opening drive TD in 300 years. Okay, 1st and 10 annnnnnndddddddd

A snap that was very on point, hitting Brock in the hands goes right through them and instead of just falling on it and settle for the inevitable FG attempt this tall glass of water sets back athletes dozens of years by failing to fall on the ball. I’m convinced that this was just God/Universe just having a little fun with all of us. Getting our hopes up and then at the last second pulling the football away right before we were going to kick it Lucy style. Nice one.

4. Raekwon McMillan is out of his depth and it’s painfully obvious to see.

I don’t know what his keys are or what he’s reading but these runs are happening at an alarming rate. Like every week there’s a run or two where he is chasing after a ball carrier that just past where he should have been. I bet a constant question in the film room every week is “hey Raekwon, what planet are you standing on?” So many folks had such high hopes before the season to the point where some were penciling him in as a sure-fire stud. I don’t know why but people did. Maybe just maybe let a guy play an actual down first before crowning them because he looks like an undrafted guy that is filling in for someone else.

5. Aaron Rodgers saw Miami coming a mile away. He knew they would be aggressive with their d-line so they just ran screen pass to the backs a few times for massive yards. Man wouldn’t that be nice to do just once let alone multiple times in back to back possessions.

6. DeVante Adams scored on what might have been the most nonchalant slant route I’ve ever seen.

7. Miami’s special teams are in fact special this year. They caused a fumble and recovered it, ran a successful fake punt, blocked a punt that I knew needed to be ran in for a score due to the offense being trash, and Jason Sanders looks like a guy who’s stroking the ball with supreme confidence. He’s the guy in your 4 some when you’re hitting the links that just punishes the ball on every drive while keeping it straight as an arrow giving your terrible driving skills a much-needed pass. It’s no stretch in saying he’s in the running for our best offensive player. Damn, that sucks to write.

8. I wrote a while back that Kenyan Drake was starting to smell a lot like Lamar Miller when he was with Miami. Now, I’m near convinced that his days in Miami might be over after this year. Yeah, I know he still has time left on his contract, but Gase will probably get rid of him. I’m sure he blinked wrong in the cafeteria or did something that Gase finds unconscionable so getting him out of here for a guy with a better attitude will be the way to go. You’d think Drake was a rookie the way he gets used. Even Rich Gannon said that Drake just needs more touches. Isn’t that always the case. Miami gets or drafts a guy with certain skills and attributes and they have no idea how to feature those skills and attributes? Wallace, Marshall, Miller, the list is large. I’m not saying you give Gore the scraps because he’s balling, but 8 carries and two catches for a guy that can take it the distance at any time seems like a bad idea for a team that can’t score points.

9. Speaking of bad ideas and guys who get brought in who the coaching staff stare at like a brand-new species, Mike Gesicki had 1 catch for 5 yards.

10. Great to hear before the game that Reshad Jones would only be getting disciplined for the first quarter. Part of me is like wow, only one quarter for taking himself out of game and not going back in. Another part of me was like that’s good news because we really need him.

11. Could have done without hearing that their first sack on Brock in the red zone was the Packers first sack in the red zone in 31 games.

12. About that red zone, 3 trips and only 6 points. This is a major reason why the Dolphins didn’t win. You need to score TDs not just because Aaron Rodgers is on the other side of the field, but because when you have chances you need to take them. This team has the complete opposite mentality of seize the day.

13. Frank Gore is a freak of nature. I know it’s been beaten into the ground just how amazing it is how well he’s playing at the age of 35 at the most punishing position in professional sports. But he moves like a guy who just stepped into the league. He had 13 carries for 90 yards and 2 catches for 12. This stat that he accomplished is out of hand phenomenal.

14. Nice to see Robert Quinn have an impact on an NFL game. He had 1.5 sacks on Sunday, which gives him a whopping 2.5 sacks for the year. Though there were times he looked active, there were also times I saw him barely give a fight on some plays. I think at the end of the year we’re going to say that Quinn was Mario Williams in disguise.

15. Good thing Rodgers had an off day because he often had tons of time back there. What was disheartening was that when he would have time he would find a guy completely wide open. I know that it’s hard for the secondary to cover for that long, but man alive it looked like secondary guys lost their man by a wide margin.

16. I have no idea why Miami were trying to run a legit two minute drill with 25 seconds left in the first half from inside their own 20. I was waiting for the pick 6 on an out route that hung to far inside. The kind of play that would get shown about a billion times during the week. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. Life is good.

17. Once again, Brock Osweiler successfully missed a wide open DeVante Parker on a deep ball that had a real good chance of being a TD. For all his little bugaboos, not hitting wide open receivers that would lead to TDs is what grinds my gears the most about the Brocksmen. Great that he keeps putting the blame on him and all that, but completing passes to guys who aren’t being covered doesn’t seem like much to ask out of a professional quarterback.

18. In the 3rd quarter, the game was 14-12. This cast of characters managed not to get blown out early and are a lucky bounce going their way from shocking the world.

19. But like in Houston, when Miami got close, it only took a few plays for the other team to flip the switch and suck the life out of the Dolphins.

#Packers RB Aaron Jones with his 2nd TD of the game. Up to 156 total yards on 13 touches.

20. I could of ran through the Grand Canyon on roids type holes that were being created by the Packer’s o-line. Aaron Jones is a nice player but Miami made him out to be a the end result if Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton ran full speed into each other and they became one. People are going to be disappointed next week when he only has 56 yards. Jones joins the likes of Sony Michel, Kerryon Johnson, Taylor Gabriel and Joe Mixon as guys who have their best games of the year when they play Miami.

21. Osweiler throws an INT intended for Amendola that ends up resulting in the knock out blow that ends any chance Miami had of shocking the known universe. Brock said…

Brock Osweiler: I thought I had a clean pass to Danny Amendola on the INT

Was not a clean pass to Amendola. Not clean at all. Look, at this point in the year with the bye week this week and with uncertainty about Tannehill and his capsule, Miami might as well go with David Fales. What do they have to lose at this point? I can’t see how he can play worse than Osweiler unless he literally can’t take a snap from under center without falling over. Maybe he comes in and gives the team a boost of life that that they desperately need. Maybe he comes in and throws up all over himself. You might as well see if he can hold his liquor because Brock is extremely limited and he cost them any chance from being in this game in the 4th.

22. The secondary held Rodgers to 199 yards and 2 TDs. An average game for A A Ron. The most talented unit on the roster did their part holding the Packer receivers to minimal gains. Kudos to them for still grinding knowing full well that they won’t get much help from the other side of the ball.

23. Know what the Dolphins could use more of? You guessed it, more injuries. You know how it should happen? Have Grant and Parker get hurt on consecutive plays, said Satan.

Can confirm, per source, sprained AC joint for DeVante Parker. No surgery for Parker or Jakeem Grant (leg). Both will be evaluated week to week, with expectation both will play again this season.

Can’t even imagine what castaways will be suiting up for Miami to play receiver on Nov. 25th. Somebody give Orande Gadsden a call.

24. Classic Dolphin moment. Packers punt and looks like it’s going to be one of those punts that can get downed inside the 5 by a player batting it back from going into the endzone. Whoops, not for Miami. Walt Aiken forgets where he is and is an easy 3 yards in the endzone as he unsuccessfully bats the ball nowhere. Classic Miami

25. Glad to see that Darren Rizzi is now a target of NFL broadcasts for being a guy that will visibly explode.

Yep, gonna be swell to see the camera look for him every time the Dolphins do something dumb on special teams just so we can get a glimpse of the fiery special teams coach.

26. Missed a golden opportunity with New England and more importantly Cincinnati losing.

27. Make it 9 straight quarters the Dolphin’s offense failed to score a TD. In 2018, with the rules the way they are, that’s really something.

In Conclusion:

Losing the game was expected. But seeing the offensive line play the way it did, opening holes for Gore and giving Osweiler time to throw I thought they had a real chance to shock everyone. Let it be said that the Green Bay Packers are not a good team. A decent QB makes things a hell of a bit more interesting than it turned out to be. But, Gase and company decided not to bring in any kind of QB depth in the off season electing to go with Brock Osweiler and David Fales to backup a QB that was coming off a major knee injury. That decision seems ill advised now because like it or not, Miami is 5-5 and still have two games to play against the Bills who found a a QB off the scrap heap and put up 41 against a team we couldn’t score an offensive TD against. I expect the team to keep believing that anything is possible and they should think that. But unless things change on offense in the next two weeks, getting another win is going to be a tall task.